Are You Eligible For The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme?

Self-employed people, who fit certain conditions, can claim a grant to help them while their business is affected by COVID-19. HMRC said they would let you know when you can apply for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. Well, now is the time to find out ...

Finding out if you are eligible or not is surprisingly a very simple process. You do need 2 important bits of information before you start which are your Unique Tax Reference (make sure this is the one associated with your Self Assessment Tax Returns) and your National Insurance Number.

Then you need to click here and go to this webpage on the Government's website. You will first be asked for your UTR (a 10 digit number), and there is a helpful link on the page to help you find yours if you do not have a record of it. The next page will ask for your National Insurance number which you can find on old payslips or P60's if you have any from previous jobs.

You will then be shown a confirmation screen telling you if you are eligible or not. If you are, it will show you a date on which you can apply!

So far, the two people I know who have done this were given the 13th May and then the 15th May. I guess they are filling up slots and trying to prevent a rush all on the same day like they had with the furlough applications. You should receive your money by 25th May if you are eligible and successfully apply on the date shown.

As a further step, the website will ask for contact details to remind you to apply on your designated day. The subsequent screens ask for your Government Gateway User ID and password and prompt you to create them if you don't already have one.

"Once you've logged in, enter your email address and mobile number which they'll use to contact you!"

If you have an accountant who has always submitted your returns for you, remember they can not make the claim on your behalf, so now would be a good time to get your own ID set up. Your accountant may also be able to help by telling you your UTR too.

If anything I've written here resonates with you, call me on 01604 420057 and let's see how we can help you.